Lawmaker renews call for balanced budget legislation

A House lawmaker is renewing the push to pass legislation that would require the federal government to produce a balanced budget annually, reminding his colleagues that it was a priority for House Speaker Paul Ryan in past years.

“The principles are simple: balance, which can take place over multiple years to accommodate economic conditions; emergency spending with supermajority support; and a full decade after ratification to get to balance,” Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., wrote in a letter to fellow lawmakers on Monday, urging them to take action on legislation he introduced.